


The Question

by Baroness_Blixen



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Fictober, Fluff, Season 11, proposal fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-29 22:23:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16273577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baroness_Blixen/pseuds/Baroness_Blixen
Summary: Scully asks Mulder an important question. Post season 11.





	The Question

When the door downstairs unlocks, Scully can’t help but smile. She gets up slowly, willing the nausea away. It’s getting better. Walking down the stairs, she hears Mulder quietly talking to himself in the kitchen. She watches him from the staircase, her stocking feet barely making a sound. He’s too engrossed in whatever he’s mumbling about anyway. A wave of love washes over her. She’s home.

“Why are you up? How are you feeling?” He’s looking at her, holding a smaller bag with three muffins in it. Her stomach grumbles.

“I heard you come home and I’m hungry,” she replies, looking at the muffins and not at him. Her stomach is a fickle thing these days. The baby is uncertain of everything. She touches her still flat belly, needing the reminder that there really is a baby growing inside of her.

“I brought your favorites. Not that I understand why you like them so much.” Mulder grins and holds the sweets hostage. She’s been craving these carrot cake muffins they only have two towns over for days. Mulder had to drive half an hour just to get them for her. She didn’t ask him to go.

“You’re drooling,” Mulder says, enjoying himself. It’s true she wants one of these muffins and she wants it right now. Her stomach grumbles again, louder this time. Mulder chuckles and hands the muffin over. He’s seen her in every shape of distress, sick, tired and sad. Him watching her while she stuffs a muffin into her mouth is neither new nor unusual. His eyes are on her as she chews. The look in his eyes is pure wonderment.

“Do you have to watch me eat?” She asks, swallowing the rich, tasty pastry. There’s a huge grin on his face as he shrugs.

“I love watching you. Whether you’re eating, or sleeping or doing an autopsy.”

“You’re a creep, Mulder.” She smiles at him, finishing the last of her muffin. She wants another one, but tries to pace herself.

“They used to call me spooky for a reason.” He kisses the top of her head before he puts away the remaining groceries. With her being sick at all times of the day, Mulder has taken over all household duties. Not just that: he’s doing it willingly.

Scully knows him like this; or rather she knew him like that once. Right after they stopped running and made a home, Mulder did this too. It’s like he just went on pause for a while. Then, once he started again, it all went downhill. Scully watches him now, how calm and together he is. How genuinely happy he looks. She is in awe of it. Is almost jealous of it.

“Are you feeling sick? Faint? You’re just staring at me.” He’s perceptive, too. Mulder is still Mulder and will always just be her Mulder. He’ll forget to buy detergent because he is distracted by a shiny object. He’ll write for hours on end, or work on whatever engages his brain, and forget to eat. But he’s also this: the man who looks at her like she’s the only important thing in his life. He’d do anything for her; once he went to the end of the world to save her. These days he drives for an hour to get her the muffins she loves. Love. He loves her; there’s never been a question. She loves him, too. She’s fought it before. Left when she couldn’t take it anymore. She’s done running from him and their love now. She’s content where they are.

“Scully? You’re worrying me,” Mulder says softly, touching her cheek.

“Do you want to marry me?” Her question leaves him speechless. “Now you’re worrying me,” she parrots him with a weak, shaky smile.

She’s not the spontaneous one. Never. Mulder is. He’s asked her before, several times. She’s never taken him seriously, not really. She didn’t want to get married then, something always stopping her. Not this time. She wants this and she wants it for the rest of their lives. She’s been with him for over two decades; they’re married in every other way already.

“I bring you muffins and you propose to me? I wish I’d known that 20 years ago.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Scully, it’s not even a question.”

“But I would like an answer.”

“I love you, Scully. I’ve loved you for so long and every day I love you a little more. I’ll marry you right now if you want.” She doesn’t get to answer or tell him how ridiculous he is because a moment later she is in his arms and he is no longer quiet. He’s kissing her wherever his lips can reach, mumbling words of love for her and for their baby. Scully closes her eyes and lets it happen. She’s smiling when he whispers that he loves her.

She whispers the words right back.


End file.
